Aaron reviewed What We've Become by Jonathan M. Metzl
What We’ve Become
5 stars
Metzl's book is both a detailed look at one particular mass shooting that took place at a Nashville Waffle House in 2018, and a wider consideration of the role that guns play in American society, and the degree to which a public health framing of the gun issue has helped or hindered the cause of limiting gun violence in the United States. Metzl is a careful observer as well as participant in these debates, and it is clear from his writing that he wants to take seriously the claims of Southern white people who feel that they must rely on guns for their safety, despite all evidence to the contrary. At the same time, Metzl does not shy away from the brutal reality of the role that racial animus plays in our gun policy. I'm paraphrasing Metzl’s text from memory here, but for many white Americans a Black person with …
Metzl's book is both a detailed look at one particular mass shooting that took place at a Nashville Waffle House in 2018, and a wider consideration of the role that guns play in American society, and the degree to which a public health framing of the gun issue has helped or hindered the cause of limiting gun violence in the United States. Metzl is a careful observer as well as participant in these debates, and it is clear from his writing that he wants to take seriously the claims of Southern white people who feel that they must rely on guns for their safety, despite all evidence to the contrary. At the same time, Metzl does not shy away from the brutal reality of the role that racial animus plays in our gun policy. I'm paraphrasing Metzl’s text from memory here, but for many white Americans a Black person with a gun is a threat and a white person with a gun is a neighbor. A national politics that keeps white people aggrieved and seeing themselves as the victims only drives them deeper into a belief that possessing an armory is a necessary part of self-defense. It is difficult to walk away from this book feeling hopeful about the future of the country, but Metzl does close with some ideas at the end of the book for how to move forward. It's a start.